A comprehensive monthly budget spreadsheet that tracks your income, fixed expenses, variable spending, and savings in one place. Includes automatic totals and a spending-vs-budget comparison column.
This spreadsheet includes 5 sections covering everything you need.
Track all income sources including salary, side hustles, and passive income.
| Source | Expected Amount | Actual Amount | Difference | Pay Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Monthly bills that stay the same — rent, insurance, loan payments.
| Expense | Budgeted | Actual | Due Date | Auto-Pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Spending that changes month to month — groceries, dining, entertainment.
| Category | Budgeted | Actual | Difference | % of Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Contributions to savings accounts, retirement funds, and investments.
| Account | Goal | Contributed | Remaining | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Automatic totals showing total income, total expenses, net surplus or deficit.
| Total Income | Total Expenses | Net Savings | Savings Rate % |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
Follow these steps to get the most out of this template.
Start by listing all your income sources and their expected amounts for the month.
Enter your fixed expenses — these are bills that rarely change like rent, car payments, and subscriptions.
Set budget amounts for each variable spending category based on last month's actuals.
As the month progresses, record actual spending in each category.
Review the difference column weekly to spot overspending early and adjust.
At month end, calculate your savings rate and carry over any lessons to next month's plan.
Anyone creating their first budget and wanting a simple starting point.
Individuals who want a clear picture of where their money goes each month.
Couples managing a shared household budget across multiple income sources.
People transitioning from no budget to a structured spending plan.
This template is great for manual tracking, but Clarity automates everything for you. Connect your bank accounts, brokerages, exchanges, and wallets and see real-time data without entering a single number.
Start with 8-12 categories. Too few and you lose visibility; too many and the budget becomes tedious to maintain. Common categories include housing, transportation, groceries, dining out, utilities, insurance, healthcare, and entertainment.
Budget based on net (take-home) income. This is the money you actually have available to spend and save. If you have irregular deductions, use your average net pay from the last 3 months.
Create a sinking fund category where you set aside a small amount each month for irregular expenses. A good rule of thumb is to save 1-2% of your income monthly for unexpected costs.
Use your lowest earning month from the past 6 months as your baseline budget. When you earn more, direct the extra to savings or debt. This prevents overspending in lower-income months.
Other templates you might find useful.
50/30/20 Budget Template
A budget template based on the popular 50/30/20 rule — 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and debt. Automatically calculates your target amounts and shows how your actual spending compares.
BudgetingZero-Based Budget Template
A zero-based budget template where every dollar of income is assigned a job. Income minus all expenses and savings allocations equals zero. Includes pre-filled categories and a reconciliation section.
BudgetingBiweekly Budget Template
A budget template designed for people who get paid every two weeks. Splits expenses across two pay periods, handles the two extra paychecks per year, and ensures bills are covered regardless of which paycheck they fall near.
BudgetingHousehold Budget Template
A household budget template for couples or families managing shared finances. Tracks multiple income sources, shared expenses, individual spending allowances, and household savings goals.
Clarity connects to your financial accounts and automates what this template does manually. Real-time data, zero data entry, and AI-powered insights.